The Demonstration
by Bookaddict394
Summary: Severus Snape travels back in time to find out more about Miss Granger, and is in for a big suprise. Smut for the sole purpose of smut with a bit of plot thrown in. SS/HG
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first venture into the deep pond of smut for the sole purpose of smut. It has a tiny bit of plot, though ;) Merry Christmas!**

...

„Why do hate me so much?!" She yelled at him. "Why are you trying to destroy my life?" She pushed at his chest. "I wanted that job! I needed that job! How dare you!" She was a whirlwind of fury, directing all of her resentment and misgivings at him.

Not that he really minded. He was used to it. Engaging in disrespectable behavior for the greater good had always been something that had fallen to him, and being despised for it was nothing new. Granger had never been fond of him anyway, so it wasn't as if he had squandered away anything. He had had his reasons for interfering, but he did not intend to explain them to her.

He was waiting for the storm to blow over, for her to have yelled enough at him and to finally leave. Fury kept rolling off her in waves. Her hands were clutched into trembling fists, and her eyes shot burning daggers at him. "Oh God," she ground out, "to think that I once considered showing you…" She caught herself in time, and turned away. "Well, never mind. I do hope I'll never have to see you again – and even that would be too soon!" she shouted, storming out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

He stood there, perplexed. She had almost shown him… what? When she had yelled those words at him, it had been instinct so slip into her mind for a second, to look for some clue as to what she was referring to. She'd been shielding her thoughts well enough that he had not gotten anything except for a date – December 19th, 1995 – and her distinctive urge to show him something.

Against his best intentions, he was intrigued. He had been feeling dead and empty inside for a long time now, and the only thing that had kept him going all those years had been his mission to help defeat the Dark Lord. And after his death, his life had crept on, devoid of meaning. It was the first time in a very long time he felt some spark of interest, some desire to inquire further. Granger had always been a mystery to him – despite her obvious and long-standing hatred of him, she had nevertheless made an effort to redeem his reputation, speaking at his trial – she had probably been the main reason he had not been sent to Azkaban. Not that he had ever shown her that her support had been appreciated.

And now, he finally had an opportunity to find out more about her. Something she obviously did not want him to know. Little did she know he'd been working on an advanced time turner, allowing him to not only travel back in time, but also to return to the present at will, making it possible for him to travel back for years instead of just months. So he was able to travel back to December 1995 and find out what exactly she had wanted to show him back then.

Once the decision had been made, he didn't bother waiting around. He slipped the time turner's chain around his neck, casting a disillusionment spell, then adjusted the date on the time turner. A twisting feeling started in his stomach, and with a sucking sound, the world around him started to spin, faster, always faster, until everything became a blur and his mind started to stretch and be pulled apart…

...

He fell back against a wall, panting. He took a deep breath, overwhelmed by the smell of Hogwarts. It felt so familiar, yet so strange. He hadn't been back in years, and although it had been rebuilt after the final battle, it had never been able to recapture its former glory or reputation. Being back after all that had happened, back in Hogwarts as he remembered it, gave rise to a very disturbing feeling of melancholy. He was glad for the Disillusionment spell that kept him invisible from the students traversing the hallways.

It didn't take long to locate Miss Granger – the library had seemed the obvious choice and he had not been disappointed. He watched her as she gathered her things and left in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. Along a deserted stretch of hallway, he grabbed her sleeve and pulled her into an empty classroom, locking the door behind them before dropping his disillusionment spell.

She gasped. "Professor Snape! Why in all of the world…" she let the sentence dwindle, and he saw confusion in her eyes as they travelled up and down his body, taking in his shorter hair, the new scars, the extra lines on this face. The time turner around his neck. Understanding dawned in her eyes. "Should I even call you Professor anymore?"

"You haven't been my student for some years now," he confirmed.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here because of something you said."

She looked surprised. "What did I say?"

"Well, more like what you will say in a few years. You told me you wanted to show me something, on this exact date." That was stretching the truth a bit, but she wasn't aware of that yet. Not for a few years to come.

She looked deeply confounded, and he wondered if he had maybe picked up an incorrect date. But no, that information had been clear as a bell. That, and her compelling need to _show him_ something.

"I'm very sure it was today," he insisted. "You don't have any idea what it could be that you might want to show me?"

She worried her lip, pacing up and down the room. "Maybe there is some kind of misunderstanding. It can't be what I am thinking of. There must be something else. What exactly did I tell you about what I was going to show you?"

He hesitated, then admitted: "I have no idea what you wanted to show me or why. That's why I'm here. But if you have something in mind, why won't you show me that?"

Her gaze slid to her backpack discarded in a corner, then back to his eyes before she dropped it to the ground. "It's not something that you can do just that easily. And I've only read books so far, I have not had any opportunity to practice before."

"I won't judge you for a lacking performance," he commented, and saw her flinch in response. She had never been able to stand the thought not to excel at something. On the other hand, she had never been able to let a challenge go, either.

He could almost feel the debate going on in her head. Finally, she met his eyes. "Will you promise me that you will let me finish without interrupting?"

He sighed, relieved that she seemed to relent and readily agreed with a smirk: "Of course. You have my word."

She looked at him, taking a deep breath. "As I have said, I've never done this before. You asked for it. You gave me your word to let me finish without interrupting. Don't forget that."

Hermione gave a last, furtive glance towards her backpack. Hidden safely inside was the book on Fellatio. She had decided to study it in detail on the date she had calculated to be the date she would have come of age if one considered the time she had spent using the time turner in her third year. That had been today. And when she had been immersed in the book, hot flashes racing through her body, she could only think of how she wanted to do that to somebody. No, not to somebody. She wanted to do it to Professor Snape. The teenage crush that she had expected to fade with time had instead increased in intensity and need. The whole day she had not been able to think about anything else than finding him, pulling him into a dark corner and start practicing everything she had read about.

And now he was here, older, but more attractive than ever – and he was asking her to show him what had been on her mind the whole day. It was obvious that he had no clue what it was all about, and she had been careful not to drop a hint, but instead had extracted a promise from him. And the best thing was that she could indulge all she wanted, and her current Potions professor would be none the wiser. Not until he had lived for another couple of years and travelled back in time.

Excitement and desire flooded her as she stepped up to him, placing her palm on his chest, slowly pushing him back until he met the wall. When her hands found his belt buckle, he sucked in a sharp breath. "Miss Granger! What do you think you're doing?!"

"I thought we had made that abundantly clear," she said, trying to meet his gaze levelly. "We agreed I would show you something – something that I have not previously performed and therefore cannot rely on any practical experience with. And you gave me your word you would not interrupt me before I was finished." With that, she started unbuckling his belt.

"Miss Granger," he rasped, "Obviously, there has been a misunderstanding. I kindly ask you to release me from my promise."

She looked up at him, smirking. "Oh, I don't think so. If you had caught me on any other day, maybe. But not today."

"Miss Granger, please, be reasonable. We can't do this… I'm – "

"- no longer my teacher, and as of today, I am of age, taking into consideration the time I have spent using a time turner."

He looked at her in shock, and she could see a multitude of emotions in the depths of his eyes – first confusion, then astonishment turning into denial, and finally, a spark of fear. She could see that he was about to argue again, so she continued. "If you don't wish to participate, then don't. It takes two for fellatio, and if you are not… _interested_ in my demonstration, then just don't… respond." She tugged on his belt, her voice gaining a hoarse quality. "If you don't want my hot, eager tongue licking the first drops off your hard, hot cock, or feel it running up and down your length, tasting your skin, or my mouth taking you deep inside and sucking you until you release your hot seed into my mouth, shouting with pleasure,… then just don't respond."

The wicked smile on her face deepened when she took in his reaction at her words. The dark, black pools of his eyes had started burning at her words, and she could almost feel the tension crackling in the air. Her hands moved to the buttons on his pants, and she sucked in a breath when she felt the hard ridge of his erection pressing against her fingertips. The burst of triumph that ran through her body went right between her legs, kindling a fire. She released button after button from its hole, and when she was finished, she slid down to her knees to release him from his pants. He tried to suppress a low groan, but she heard, and felt herself grow wet between her legs. She rubbed her thighs together, savoring the sweet reaction, and tried to concentrate on the task ahead.

He was bigger than she had imagined, and it was the first time she had seen a man that close. A small voice in the back of her mind cautioned her that maybe she should be afraid, that it was more than she could take, but her desire overrode it instantly. She saw the pearly drop forming at the tip and gave in to instinct, leaning closer and sliding her tongue over the tip, tasting his essence on her tongue. It tasted coppery, salty and had an earthy tang to it, not at all unpleasant as she had imagined. Indeed, fueled by desire, she wanted to taste more of it, of him. At the touch of her tongue, he had released a harsh breath, and their eyes had met at the sound. His eyes were hooded and glazed over, but the fire inside of them burned hotter than ever. She held his eyes as she slid her lips over the tip, sucking slowly and leisurely, drinking in his passionate reaction. His eyes never left hers, and by now they seemed to urge her on.

Her right hand started pumping his cock and she soon fell into a comfortable rhythm, swirling her tongue around his shaft, unable to keep herself from uttering small sounds of desire. Her left hand started running up his leg and changed course at his hip to find his buttocks. She squeezed softly and found the sensation of his hard muscles flexing under her hands highly stimulating. His breathing became ragged, and his hands splayed on the wall, trying to find hold, his fingertips turning white from pressure. The hand that had been running over his buttocks moved up to find his right hand, pulling it off the wall and placing it on the top of her head. He hesitated for a moment, shivers running through his body, before his fingers slid into her hair to cradle her scalp and carefully followed the movements of her head. A low moan escaped him, and she felt an answering purr rising in her chest, stroking along the hard length between her lips. Her left hand returned to his butt, stroking it, encouraging it into movement. He resisted for a moment, then allowed himself to be pulled into the rhythm, tentatively moving his hips to meet her.

He looked down at the sight before him, robbed of his breath as he watched her lips, slowly, deliciously, slide down his shaft and he felt her tongue swirling around his head, applying sweet suction. He could not help himself and thrust just a tiny bit deeper, but her answering moan let him know it had not been unwelcome. Her sounds, her uninhibited reactions, had fire burning in his veins.

It had been his firm impression that she had resented him all of her life, and to see her now, like this, her eyes burning with desire while she pleasured him, clearly aroused, blew him away. Never had anything felt this good before. And so see _her_ , of all people, Miss Hermione Granger, enjoying him with such abandon had excitement curling in his stomach, spreading towards his groin, igniting a reaction that started an inevitable sweet pull, and he felt his body readying itself for an explosion of unknown dimensions.

"I'm close!" he rasped, his fingers tightening in her hair. "You have to pull away!" She gave him a determined stare and started sucking even harder, pumping her hand up and down his shaft. He moaned in delight, feeling his testicles tighten, the muscles in his legs and torso contract, and with a dark roar he exploded into her mouth, releasing spurt after spurt of his hot essence while waves of burning pleasure swept through his body. His eyes stayed glued to her face, and as he watched her swallow with a wistful expression, his orgasm soared to new heights, leaving him breathless and hoarse. When she swirled her tongue lazily around his tip to catch the last drops, his legs ceased to support him and he slid slowly down the wall.

He watched her through half-closed eyes, taking in her dilated pupils, darkening her eyes with desire. His eyes wandered to her breasts, enjoying the sight of her erect nipples under her white blouse, straining against the fabric. Her tongue slipped out to wet her lips, and he knew if he stayed a couple of minutes longer, his body would recover and he would be unable to keep himself from taking her virginity, right then, right there, on the classroom floor. He forced himself to stand, pulling her up with him. He wanted to say something to her but found himself at a loss for words. It was not often that he found himself speechless, but her hot little mouth had worked such magic on him that his brain was still in a daze.

His mouth, without consulting his brain beforehand, rasped: "Thank you. That was… extraordinary. I don't think I've ever– " He broke off, his brain finally catching up with his mouth. He cleared his throat, and a look at her upturned, flushed face and her parted lips kindled the fire in his loins again. He really needed to get going before his desires got the better of him.

"I need to go," he said tersely. "That means I need to obliviate you now."

She gasped. "I don't want to forget about this! It was wonderful."

"You know I can't let you keep those memories. You didn't have them before and we can't change history. But I can capture them," he said, pulling out a vial. "And maybe some time in the future I will be able to return them to you."

She gave him a wry smile. "Fine. I can't argue with that."

He raised his wand, but she stopped him with her hand on his arm. "There is one thing I would still like to discuss with you." He raised his eyebrows at her, encouraging her to speak, and she outlined her request. He grew agitated and then they argued, but finally he relented insofar as to at least think about her proposition. Then he turned to her, raising his wand again. "Call the memory to the front of your mind".

The whispery, silvery strand was pulled from her temples, drawn by his wand, and swiftly bottled. The vial disappeared into the depths of Snape's robes. He looked up and met her dazed eyes, and with a small smile, she whispered softly: "Professor Snape..."

He raised his wand again: " _Obliviate_ "

 **...**

 **A/N: Feedback will be very much appreciated. If you're interested in a sequel dealing with Hermione's proposition, please let me know! Remember, reviews feed the muse! ;)  
**

 **Also, I'm thinking about putting this story up on Ashwinder, too, so in case you're a native speaker of English and might be interested in being my Beta for this story, please PM me :)**


	2. Epilogue

**A/N: Although my oneshot was completed in Chapter 1, I was inspired by your nice reviews and had a wicked little idea for an epilogue last night. Enjoy!**

Epilogue

Professor Snape strode down the hallway towards the library. When he rounded a corner, he spotted a familiar figure in the dim gloom of the corridor. The young woman walked unsteadily, one hand trailing along the wall. The bushy mane of hair identified her as Miss Granger, but her behavior was very out of character. The usually composed, focused student looked as if she were in a daze. He wondered if she might be intoxicated, as unlikely as that seemed to be. Her bushy mane of hair was even wilder than usual, framing her head in an untamed halo. Her clothes were rumpled, and he thought he saw some specks of dirt on her knees.

"Miss Granger!" He addressed her, and she flinched, obviously not having been aware of his presence. Her eyes, glazed over and confused, slowly slid up to meet his. Her forehead wrinkled. "Professor Snape?" He kept watching her eyes as they became more focused. She seemed to come to her senses, her gaze sharpening. And then, quite unexpected, there was a spark of something in her eyes that he couldn't place, but it left him with quite an unsettling feeling in his stomach.

He gave her a stern look. "Is something wrong? You don't seem quite like yourself." She opened her mouth to reply, but then hesitated, the confused look back in her eyes. When she finally spoke, her voice sounded unsure. "I'm fine, I think. I'm on my way back from…" she hesitated again before finishing, "the library… looking for something to read over the Christmas holidays." She seemed to speak the truth, but a voice in the back of his mind insisted that something was off, that there was something she was hiding from him. Maybe she had been drinking. Maybe there was a stash somewhere in the library. With a swift movement, he bent close to her face and took a deep sniff of her breath to determine if he could pick up traces of alcohol – years of work as a Potions Master had perfected his sense of smell, and he had always been able to pick up on substance abuse that way. But what he detected on her breath had him recoiling in horror. Intermingled with the clean, fresh scent that was Miss Granger, there was another one – a disturbingly familiar, a disturbingly private scent. He knew immediately what it was, although every part of his being screamed that it was impossible, _impossible_!

"Miss Granger," he growled, "what exactly have you been up to the last hour? In detail, please." He watched her closely, and immediately noticed a deep red blush creeping up her neck.

"That is private." She whispered hoarsely.

"Miss Granger," he repeated, a warning tone creeping into his voice, "it is very important that you tell me exactly what you did during the last 60 minutes." He lifted her chin with his finger so she had to meet his gaze. "You _will_ tell me." He insisted.

…..

Hermione was breathless. Here she was, in the situation she had fantasized about, and realized how ludicrous her daydreams had been. As if her Professor would ever think to engage in sexual relations with a student! Especially not with her. What had she been thinking! Now, the thought that he might find out about her secret dreams and desires terrified her. She would not be able to sit in his class without melting into a mortified puddle ever again. There was no way in hell she would tell him anything about it. But to her absolute horror, when she looked into his eyes, she realized he had no intention to ask nicely. Her mind went into fight-or-flight-modus, and before her brain could catch up with her actions, the scene unfolded before her eyes.

"Legili-"

"EXPELLIARMUS!" she shouted, sending his wand flying into a dark corner of the hallway.

Horrified by her own reaction, but unable to do anything else, she shoved at his chest and started running down the hallway in a fast sprint. She knew it was highly unlikely that he would pursue her before he had found his wand, and she could only hope it took him long enough to allow for her escape.

….

Severus Snape watched Miss Granger racing down the hallway as if the hounds of hell were snapping at her heels. He made no move to follow her, and instead watched her until her lithe figure zoomed around the corner, then turned to search for his wand. He was still amazed and equally taken aback at her fast and very skilled reaction. One minute, she had appeared to be in a stupor, and in the next, she had turned into a magnificent creature of power. It had all happened in seconds. He had seen the moment when she realized he was about to perform Legilimency on her, and in a flash, she had turned into a fierce storm of defiance. She had whirled around, her wand suddenly in her hand, her hair whipping around her face as she had disarmed him with ease. Granted, he had not been prepared for any resistance, but still, it had been impressive. It must be some secret she was hiding.

He could not help a smirk playing around his lips as he wondered how long it would take her to realize she had left her backpack. And that horrible moment right after that, when she realized she would have to talk to him to get it back. His smirk deepened as he bent to pick up her backpack. As he strode back to his office, he wondered if there might be anything inside that could give him a clue as to what she had been up to...

 **A/N: Yes, I know - evil cliffhanger! What will Professor Snape think when he finds Hermione's book on fellatio? Will they be talking about it when she meets him to retrieve her backpack? Will Hermione realize that some of her memories are missing?  
So many nice storylines to explore... **

**Should the next oneshot be on Hermione's proposition (with past Hermione and future Snape - lots of smut) or would you rather explore the storyline of the epilogue (with past Snape/past Hermione - less smut, more tension)? Please leave a review to let me know! :)**


	3. Epilogue 2

**A/N: So I only wanted to write a small oneshot. Just smut. No story. No plot. Turns out, I am addicted to plot. So, I'm trying for a compromise. Several one-shots that together kind of form a story. "The Demonstration" will be the chronologically first one, so this thread will be the "base" of the story that connects to the others. I will keep adding epilogues that tell the gist of the story but separately, a whole oneshot with more information and more smut will be published ;)**

Epilogue 2: Retrieving the Book

Hermione Granger paced up and down the hallway leading to the dungeons. She knew there was no way she could avoiding speaking to Professor Snape if she wanted her backpack back, but the thought that he surely must have taken a look inside and seen her book on fellatio had her insides frozen in horror. How would she ever be able to stand his presence again? Knowing that her anxiety it would only get worse with putting of the inevitable, she took a deep breath and approached Snape's office door. She gave it a sharp rap, and the door opened instantly. She slipped into the room and spotted him behind his desk, his black eyes glittering.

"Miss Granger! What a completely unexpected surprise visit." He drawled, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Professor Snape." She replied tersely, and decided to take a seat in front of his desk although he had not offered it to her yet. This was hard enough to do as it was, and she knew if she waited for him to speak, her courage would desert her.

"Sir, I believe you might be in possession of my backpack."

He regarded her calmly, not reacting to her in any way. She started to fidget. "Look – I just want it back. I need it for my studies."

A spark started to burn in his eyes, and he leaned forward as he spoke. "Your studies, you say. Remind me again what exactly you were studying this afternoon?"

Oh God. He had looked into her bag. He had seen the book on fellatio. Of course he did, you dimwit! Her brain chided her. There was never any doubt about it. It was silly to have hoped for anything else.

"Well, all my study notes are in it. The complete folder. And I wanted to do a bit of revising during the holidays…" she stopped speaking when Snape bent and pulled something out from under his desk, putting it in front of her.

"Is this the folder you were talking about?" He tapped on the folder, smirking at her. "Go ahead, take it. I wouldn't want to keep eager Miss Granger from her studies."

She looked at him, bewildered. "Umm… and my bag?"

"Of course." He bent again to retrieve something from under his desk. "Here you go."

She took her backpack, feeling a lot lighter than usual, and put her folder inside. Her books were missing. She glared at him. "Might I have my books back, please."

He dumped a pile of books in front of her. All her textbooks – but the one, the _only one_ that mattered right now, was still missing. She ground her teeth together. "I think there is still a book missing."

"Oh yes? Pray tell me, what was it about? I have so many books lying around, one might easily slip between the others." He gave her his version of twinkling eyes, which made her think of dark, dangerous places and had a shiver running down her spine. A very dark, very hot shiver that ignited the fire between her legs anew. Not that she had been able to think about anything else than hot sexual tension, or anyone else than Professor Snape since she had read that book.

She came to a decision. She could try to keep on dancing around the subject, which put her in a defensive position, giving him all the power – or she could just suck it up (as hard at it was, with her belly aflutter, but the damage had been done anyway) and try to hold her head high. Maybe she could make _him_ uncomfortable instead, she mused.

"Well, Professor Snape, seeing as you have obviously taken the time to go through my stuff, was there no book title that kind of… caught your attention? Something a bit out of the ordinary?" He did not reply, although she caught a look of apprehension in his eyes. He knew the tables had turned.

"And here I thought," she continued, "that this specific subject was of utmost importance to most men. But maybe you are not like most men in that regard." She tried to imitate Snape's twinkling, but wasn't sure if she managed to get the hot sparkle quite right.

A scowl appeared on his face for a second before she again faced a blank mask, but she had seen it. "So, do you think a second look under your desk is going to maybe result in finding said book, or should I go into detail as you suggested? You know I've always been a very keen student – I love to devour subject matter. I want to go really _deep_ into it, and just suck out all the information there is. I could give you a _blow-by-blow_ description, if you want." She leaned forward while speaking, and smugly noticed that he seemed to be frozen in shock. She slowly wet her lips with her tongue. "So, what do you say?"

He stared at her, frowning, irritation written all over his features. With a swift move of his arm, he pulled out the book and laid it on the table, face down, his hand still resting on the worn cover. She raised her hand to retrieve it, placing her fingers in the gaps left by his. Only her index finger was close enough to his to allow for their skin to touch. A flash of hot desire shot through her body at the feel of his warm, calloused finger against hers. She had to bite her lip to keep herself from uttering the sounds of need that wanted to escape her throat. As she slowly slid the book out from under his hand, she was careful to keep their fingers in contact, allowing her to trace the tip of her finger along the length of his. She did not look up to meet his eyes until she had stored the book in her bag, and tried to look composed when she finally did.

He looked thunderous, but under all those layers of irritation, anger and uneasiness, she also thought she spotted a spark of something burning in the dark pools of his eyes. She felt that tingling sensation between her legs grow stronger, and she had to resist the urge to rub her thighs together. She really needed to go before she could make more of a fool out of herself.

"Thank you for taking such good care of my bag. Good night, Professor." She turned and strode towards the door.

His voice stopped her. "Miss Granger, you have not been dismissed yet"

 **A/N: Yes, I know, cliffhanger ending. But worry not, there is more in the story "Retrieving the book". You will need to scroll down a bit, I had to post it in one piece, unfortunately - I had planned for you to be able to jump to the last chapter. Sorry!**


	4. Epilogue 3

**A/N: So this will be a look into a future Snape/ future Hermione situation, which will also be published as a longer oneshot called "New Year, New Beginnings" that includes Snape traveling back in time again.**

New Year's Eve, 2002

Severus Snape raised the champagne flute to his mouth while he was watching the attending guests over the rim of his glass. How he hated these Ministry of Magic parties, full of empty talk, overdressed people and tiny snacks. He guessed if he stayed for an hour that would be enough for the others to have noticed his attendance. He'd be waiting for the New Year's countdown to make his exit. And then he'd finally go home and enjoy a good book in front of his fireplace.

His eyes perused the room, looking for familiar faces in the mass of chattering, stuck up guests. He almost choked on this champagne when his eyes came to rest on the entrance hall. Hermione Granger swept inside, a dark green dress clinging to her curves, her long, curly hair flowing behind her. She was quite a sight, he had to admit. A fact that did not stay hidden from other guests, either. Several men kept their eyes on her lithe figure as she moved towards the buffet.

He was instantly sucked into his memories (pun not intended, he thought) of his visit to the past and everything that had happened on December 19th, 1995. He recalled the way she had looked up to him, her eyes full of desire, and the way she had slid her lips over… STOP IT RIGHT NOW! He snarled at himself. It was wrong to indulge in those memories, although he often found he could not help his thoughts wandering that way.

That memory confused him more than anything else. He was absolutely sure that she had always resented him, and still did. He had treated her badly enough at school, and his interference of late (although he had done it to keep her safe, unbeknownst to her) had cost her the one job that she really had wanted to have. That she had spoken at his trial was just proof of her Gryffindor morals – always taking the high road. She could not be interested in him, he told himself. He did not know what had been her motivation to please him that day in 1995, but after he had taken away her memories, nothing of the past had changed – she had disliked him just as much as before, so he figured that it must have been some aberration in her usual behavior. Maybe, that day, she had been under the influence of a potion or a spell.

His musings were interrupted by an official announcement: a special treat for the guests. A Divination Master from the Far East had arrived for a visit. His specialty was to unlock hidden truth of the subconscious, which he was able to reveal by touching someone. It had been the Minister of Magic's idea that he should provide entertainment for tonight, showing off his little party trick. It was a catastrophe waiting to happen, Severus thought. Whatever had the Minister of Magic been thinking?!

In a desperate search for an exit, he spied doors opening to a balcony and decided to slip away from the main event. He had not yet made it there when the Divination Master found his first victims in an employee of the Department of Magical Law enforcement, who was attending the party with his wife. The Divination Master simply touched his shoulder, and the husband turned to the wife and pronounced clearly for all to hear: "Actually, yes, this dress does make your butt look fat!" His wife's embarrassed squeal rang through the hall as he continued: "But I love your fat butt, I would not have it any other way. I don't know why I should pretend otherwise. To fat butts." he announced happily, raising his glass to the shocked faces around him.

Severus shuddered and was glad to be able to slip out on the balcony unnoticed. He should leave right now, he reasoned. With Granger here, things could only get worse. There was no one that could get under his skin the way she did. He put his hands on the balustrade, breathing in deeply. The crisp, icy air carried the promise of snow, and he closed his eyes to savor the sensation. He heard someone slip out on the balcony, then a drawn-in breath of shock. He turned around to see Miss Granger, her eyes darting between him and the door to the ball room, where most likely she had been trying to escape the Divination Master. A tough choice to make, he thought sarcastically. He was surprised, though, when she stayed instead of moving back inside. She crossed her arms across her chest to keep herself warm, and glared towards the doors to the ballroom. "Who in all of the world had this asinine idea to use a Divination Master as a party trick?! It's a catastrophe waiting to happen!"

Severus snorted in agreement. He could not help himself and replied: "Seeing that you are even willing to accept my company to escape him, the situation must have taken on dramatic proportions."

She glared at him. "Well, as I have signed my new contract with the Ministry of Muggle Affairs last week, and my job is secure, I think I'll be taking my chances with you. Also, we don't really need to do any small talk. I'm fine with waiting here for a couple of minutes in silence." She crossed the balcony to rest her hands on the balustrade, staring out over the grounds. Her pose was rigid, and she seemed upset in a way.

He wanted to say something to her, but he did not know how to approach her. There just had been too many things gone wrong, too much time gone by for them to have a chance. So he just let his gaze lovingly travel over her body, her back to him, and looked his fill as long as he was able to do so.

He felt someone squeeze his shoulder, and suddenly, the world froze to a stop. He felt a deep thrumming in his body, strings being tugged here and there, bubbles traveling up his throat, and before he knew what he was doing, he said to her: "You like me. You've always liked me. You think I'm a very fascinating man, and you once wished there was a future for us. And you've kept thinking of me that way, no matter how many mean words I hurled at you in class – deep inside of you, there was always this flame of desire, this need to be with me."

He was shocked at those words – he had no idea where they had come from, _he_ did not believe that – why had he said that? Could he have said anything more ludicrous?! As if _she_ would be burning with desire for _him_?! He felt a hot wave of embarrassment flow through his body and was about to apologize when she whipped around, her eyes dark with hurt and fury. "You knew? You _knew_?! Did you use Legilimency on me, you bastard?! How could you?! Did you see everything you wanted? Did you see me in bed with Ron, after our first time, in the dark hours of the night when I cried my heart out because it had been him and not _you_? Did you revel in that?! Did it give you a perverse sense of satisfaction? Why do you need to punish me so? What have I ever done to you?!"

She pushed at him and ran through the doors inside the ball room. He stood there, frozen in shock, trying to comprehend what she had been telling him. It could not be true. She could not have wanted him that way. She could not really have wanted him to…

His mind discreetly pointed out that he should not forget about the proposition Miss Granger had made to him in 1995 (not that she would still remember that after being obliviated). She had asked him for just that – to be her first. And he had thought she was mad, that there was some potion or spell or teenage crush impeding her judgement. And now – this.

He snapped out of his frozen shock and took off running, trying to locate her in the ball room. She was gone, with no trace as to where.

…..

Back home, he slipped the time turner around his neck, adjusting the dials to show May 25th, 1996. He slipped a vial, filled with silvery mist, into the pocket of his robes, then took a deep breath and spun the time turner.

 **A/N: Warning, smut ahead: Go right to the story "New Year, New Beginnings" if you want to read the story of how Snape went back in time to grant Hermione her wish.**

 **If you're wondering why Snape said the things he said when the Divination Master touched him, it was something that Hermione had told him herself - in the story "Retrieving the Book", which was:** **"I like you. I've always liked you. You're a very fascinating man, and I wish there was a future for us, because I know I will keep thinking of you that way, no matter how many memories you will erase or how many mean words you'll hurl at me in class, deep inside, there will always be this flame of desire, this need to be with you. Never doubt that. Maybe one day you'll allow yourself to open up to me."  
**

 **At this point in the story, though, neither of them is aware that had happened, because both no longer possess the memories of that night.**


End file.
